Neil Goodwin is an in-house content writer at Select covering all things automotive. A former national newspaper journalist and PR consultant, he loves his motorcycles as much as he loves his cars. Neil Goodwin is an experienced journalist and Editor at Select Car Leasing. A graduate of Liverpool University, Neil secured his first job in journalism in 2003, initially working for a press agency before joining a red-top national newspaper. By 2015, Neil was Deputy Editor and the newspaper’s weekly motoring columnist, indulging in his love of both cars and motorcycles for many years. A lateral move into PR as a Consultant followed, as Neil worked for a respected agency in Manchester while aiding several automotive clients - including Select Car Leasing. His stories have been published in countless publications, from the Daily Telegraph to the Daily Mirror. Neil joined Select Car Leasing full-time in 2022 as Content Lead and Editor, having most recently enjoyed a busy role as Senior Journalist at Liverpool Hope University. Neil is an expert in: - The UK automotive industry - Electrification and the move to EVs - New cars and facelifted models - Leasing advice and guides - Lease finance options Neil Goodwin Q&A Q: What was your first car? “I shared a blue B-reg Austin Metro with my older brother and I can’t remember a single week when something didn’t go wrong with it. A metal bar lived in the passenger footwell so that we could batter the starter motor back into life. It also ended up with a lovely big dent in the door where I’d kicked it in frustration for stubbornly refusing to get me home from college. My brother and I traded it in for a white Ford Fiesta 1300S which went like a scalded cat (for us, anyway) and was heaps of fun on the back roads of rural North Yorkshire where I grew up.” Q: Most memorable driving experience? “One occasion that’ll live long in the memory is taking a Peugeot RCZ R up to the Highlands of Scotland in the depths of winter. I got lucky with blue-sky weather, spent a couple of days winter climbing with a mate on Ben Nevis and Buachaille Etive Mòr before hot-footing it from Fort William to Edinburgh to attend a friend’s stag do. That journey south-east takes you through some great driving country, including the A82 and A85, and under a blanket of snow it’s properly stunning. I also took a less-than-modern SUV with knackered seats across the remote plains of Patagonia travelling from Puerto Natales in Chile to El Calafate in Argentina. It was a bumpy journey but well worth it.” Q: What makes you an automotive expert? “I’ve been writing about cars for many years now and with the automotive industry changing apace you need to stay on the ball. Researching and writing news and reviews, and reading endless press releases, keeps me informed and on the front foot. A big thing for me is in trying to ensure that motoring pleasure isn’t limited to those who can afford it, or to those with an encyclopaedic knowledge of it. Here at Select we like to deal in explanations, not jargon and acronyms. I also love a good affordable car as much as I like a supercar.”